Now Covering: Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker Launch

Today is Showa Day, a national holiday and the start of the "Golden Week" period, also known as the reason that Japanese game information comes to a halt for a week or two at the end of April and beginning of May.

It's also the launch day for Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker. As detailed in our pre-release look at the game, Peace Walker is being pushed via some big launch festivities, including an early morning launch at the Yamada Denki Labi 1 game shop in Ikebukuro, an afternoon talk and signing at the Yodobashi Camera in Yokohama, and an evening launch party in central Tokyo.

Your andriasang.com chief sneaking correspondent Alex Aniel has snuck into the Ikebukuro area for the first launch event and has been sending in pics:

Added: 10:22

Added: 10:22

Added 10:31 -- Kojima discusses some related product.

Added 10:45

Added 10:45

Added 10:45 -- Shinkawa and Kojima sign four posters which will be given away via raffle.

I'll be adding pics above as Alex sends them in. Be sure and also check back later in the day for more detailed reports from all launch events.

[Update 10:52: The event has come to an end with Kojima having everyone in attendance say "Peace." Check back on the main channel later in the day for more pics and a full report.]

Incidentally, if you -- like me -- thought Hideo Kojima gets a personal limo on the launch day for his big game, you're wrong. Kojima has been Tweeting about the launch since waking up at his usual 6:00am or so. He posted this image earlier today:

He was apparently having a meeting while on the way to the Ikebukuro event. This took place not in the back of a limo, but on a bus!